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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wake · cabinet · snap · object · pop · wind · key · wax

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. pop — soda
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. wake — a trail
  8. pop — to visit
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wax — to grow
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. object — to protest
  15. object — a thing
  16. key — the most important part
  17. object — an aim
  18. key — for a lock
  19. pop — music
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. key — in music
  24. snap — to click

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com